Considering a Structured Settlement Sale? Read This First

When you need money quickly, a structured settlement sale is one of the best options for raising the finances you need in a short amount of time.

There are dozens of structured settlement companies out there that are willing to purchase settlement annuities from people who need to cash in quickly, or people who are simply unhappy with the settlement terms, but the difficulty many people have is in finding buyers.

Luckily, there are a number of things you can do to connect with potential buyers of your structured settlement and come to an agreement that is completed quickly and on satisfactory terms to both parties.

How to go about a structured settlement sale

Many sellers of structured settlement annuities fail to realize that one of the best options for selling structured settlement payments is by advertising their policy for sale.

It’s possible to advertise your settlement online, for example. There are dozens of internet sites that have classified listings where you could advertise a structured settlement policy for sale (such as Craigslist), and there are even some websites that are specifically geared to communities of people receiving structured settlements.

These sites make perfect show windows for your settlement annuity and will attract the interest of not just companies but also private investors as well.

Alternatively, if you have the time then by all means do carry out some research online into the best structured settlement companies and see if any of them are a good fit for your structured settlement sale.

Most companies that buy settlement annuities will have some kind of online application form where you can fill in the relevant details of your policy and obtain a quote from them. If not, then they will at the very least have a telephone number so you can call them and ask for a quote.

Of course, you don’t want to sell structured settlement payments to a company or an individual of ill-repute, so you should definitely do some research on any potential buyers.

You can search online or call an authority like the Better Business Bureau to find out the reputation of any company that makes you a decent offer on your annuity.

Downsides of a structured settlement sale

It would be irresponsible of us not to mention the downsides of selling your structured settlement annuity.

Bear in mind that companies do not buy these kinds of policies from you as a favor – they are in it to make money, and that means that you cannot expect to receive the full value of your settlement.

The deal is a trade off – if you want all the money now then you have to accept that you will lose between 20% and 30% of its value.

If you want to keep all the money for yourself, then you are going to have to make do with the regular installments.

Ultimately, you just have to decide for yourself if it’s worth giving up a portion of your money to get your hands on it right away.